Philippians 4:6-7 (New American Standard Bible)
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
"To put it more simply: In every situation...prayer+ thanksgiving = peace.
When prayer teams up with gratitude, when we open our eyes wide enough to see God's mercies even in the midst of our pain, and when we exercise faith and give Him thanks even when we can't see those mercies, He meets us with His indescribable peace. It's a promise. Oh, we can try it the other way. Without thanksgiving.Author and bible teacher Beth Moore describes the way most people live, by substituting the familiar phrases from Philippians 4:6-7 with their polar opposites:
Do not be calm about anything, but in everything, by dwelling on it constantly and feeling picked on by God, with thoughts like,"And this is the thanks I get," present your aggravations to everyone you know but Him. And the acid in your stomach, which transcends all milk products, will cause you an ulcer, and the doctor bills will cause you a heart attack, and you will lose your mind.
Prayer is vital-but to really experience His peace, we must come to Him with gratitude. Hard gratitude. Costly gratitude. The kind that trusts that He is working for our good even in unpleasant circumstances...the kind that garrisons our troubled hearts and minds with His unexplainable peace."
Nancy Leigh Demoss -Choosing Gratitude